Clergy sex scandal : Church losing credibilitry

When the shepherds go astray who can bring them back?

I have been following closely the Pope’s visit to the United States some months ago and now his visit to Australia for the World Youth Day. Thanks to the advances in Information Technology and the international media for effectively bringing the news live to all corners of the world.It was refreshing to note that huge crowds flocked to be with the Holy Father wherever he went.

Although both these visits were considered successes, they nevertheless highlighted the biggest problem our Catholic Church is facing today - the credibility in it’s its role as the guardian and promoter of the teachings of Jesus. The wide-spread clergy sex-scandals have greatly tarnished the credibility of the Church all over the world. It is distressing that wherever the Pope went the ghosts of these scandals trail behind and continued to haunt him. He had to apologize to the victims and the people wherever he went.

His much exalted position as the Vicar of Christ is being slowly eroded by these scandals and as Catholics we are deeply disturbed by the declining ‘moral command’ of the Holy Father in the world today.

Jesus had entrusted His flock to the clergy. The clergy represent the shepherds who are to guide and guard the sheep at all times. When the sheep go astray, we have the shepherds to go out to search and bring them back to the flock but when the shepherds themselves go astray, who is there to bring them back?

In a world that is so materialistic and immoral,sometimes I wonder where we are heading to.Where is our Church leading us heading to?Are we in the right path?We call ourselves Christians,the followers of Christ, but are we really following the teachings of Jesus in our own lives?

Dr.Chris Anthony